Dozens killed in Lebanon fuel tanker explosion

At least 20 people were killed in a fuel tanker explosion in the northern region of Akkar, the Lebanese Red Cross said on Sunday.

Videos shared on social media showed a large fire at the blast site.

"Our teams have transported 20 dead bodies and more than 7 injured from the fuel tanker explosion in #AKKAR to hospitals in the area," the Red Cross said on Twitter. 

A Carnage in #Akkar, north #Lebanon where an oil tanker exploded causing injuries among civilians and army personnel. Reports via social media suggesting there are casualties pic.twitter.com/lXgXUPNlYm

— Ali Hashem علي هاشم (@alihashem_tv) August 14, 2021

"Our teams have transported 20 dead bodies and more than 7 injured from the fuel tanker explosion in #AKKAR to hospitals in the area," the organisation added.

Lebanon, hit by by one of the world's worst economic crises since the 1850's according to the World Bank, has been grappling with fuel shortages for months.

The Lebanese army on Saturday said it seized thousands of litres of gasoline and diesel that distributors where stock piling in pumps across the country.

On Wednesday central bank chief Riad Salameh said he would halt state subsidies on fuel imports to ease pressure on the bank's dwindling foreign reserves, sparking panic across the country.

Saturday Salameh insisted he would not back down from his decision without a parliamentary vote, saying foreign reserves had fallen to $14 billion.

"I will not review the removal of subsidies on fuel unless the use of compulsory reserves is legalised" by a parliamentary vote, he told local radio.

The Lebanese pound has lost more than 90% of its value on the black market, and 78% of the population lives below the poverty line.

Crippling shortages of fuel and power cuts lasting more than 22 hours per day have left many businesses and homes without the diesel needed to power private generators, plunging the country into darkness.

They have also caused giant queues at petrol stations that are rationing gasoline supply, allegedly because of low stock.

Fuel importers blame the crisis on a delay by the central bank in opening credit lines to fund imports.

Salameh denied those charges on Saturday, accusing importers and distributors of holding back fuel to sell it at higher prices in the black market, or across the border in Syria.

"The importers are to blame," Salameh said, accusing them of squandering $820 million the lender had fronted for three months of imports.

Army deploys 

To stem hoarding, the army on Saturday said it was raiding closed gas stations to seize gasoline and distribute it "free of charge" to the people.

It shared pictures and video footage on its social media pages showing soldiers working pumps at gas stations and filling up car tanks.

An AFP correspondent saw soldiers deployed at several gas stations north of Beirut, where hundreds of vehicles had been queueing for long hours to fill up on petrol.

Video footage posted online showed motorists cheering as the army raided gas stations.

But some Lebanese remained bitter.

"The army's decision is too late," said one motorist who had been waiting for hours in the simmering heat.

After the army's deployment, many petrol stations across the country reopened after closing for several days.

The police also announced Saturday they would dispatch patrols to gas stations believed to be hoarding fuel and confiscate it.

Political crisis 

The central bank's funding of fuel and other basic commodity imports has contributed to foreign reserves falling by more than 50% from their pre-crisis level of more than $30 billion.

Salameh blamed Lebanon's ruling class for the crisis.

"Everybody was aware... they were aware in government, parliament and the president's office" that reserves were critically low, Salameh said, accusing them of inaction.

Salameh has headed the central bank since 1993 and is suspected by many Lebanese of helping facilitate large transfers of money abroad by the political elite during mass protests that began in October 2019.

He is under judicial investigation in Lebanon, Switzerland and France over several cases, including the diversion of public funds and illicit enrichment.

At home, many blame him for capital controls in place since 2019 that have trapped dollar savings and denied even the poorest segment of the population free access to their deposits.

But Salameh has pinned the blame on politicians who have failed to agree on a new government more than one year since caretaker premier Hassan Diab resigned in the wake of a monster explosion at the Beirut port.

International donors who have pledged millions in humanitarian aid to Lebanon have conditioned assistance on the formation of a new government that can spearhead reforms and resume negotiations with the International Monetary Fund.